Wood stove, Football, and Pumpkin Spice Candles

Last night was a cool night and more importantly the first official football game of the season was on last night too! The Saints vs. The Vikings, Saints won. No wood stove burning last night, but it was cold enough. Earlier in the evening I had lit moms new Pumpkin Spice candle in the kitchen to set the mood for the evening.


It all took me back to Monday Night Football when I was a little girl. Monday night was usually a big homework night, bath night and to bed by 8:00pm. All of these goings ons serenaded by the "enthralling" football game on the t.v. playing in the background. I don't think, as a child, I could fall asleep without the sounds of the last hour of the football game lulling me to sleep. Or sit in a nice southing bubble bath without the refs whistles blow echoing from the living room. Or laying on the living room floor doing my homework only stopping when the commercials came on. Such was life on Monday night in the Garris household. I don't think any of us watched real hard or close unless of coarse it was the Seahawks or the 49'ers or our own family rivals,the teams of  our cousins, the Packers or the Rams. The game was just there, a comfort if you will, a reminder that all was home, safe and comfortable.


The pattern of Monday night was predictable in the fall. My sister and I would immediately enjoy the last lights of the cool fall day until it was dinner time or to dark to play. Eat a yummy dinner then start in on homework all the while enjoying the comforting sounds of helmets and bone smashing together in the background. By 7 someone was in taking their bath enjoying the crowds rower echo threw the house to the bathroom. All the while hearing the occasional creek of the wood stove door swinging and the banging of wood being put in the fire to keep it a blaze. While the second bath taker was enjoying the bubbles and warm water the first got something very special; plopped in Daddy's lap all clean and in jamies  so he can brush your hair. The best part of the whole night was siting in his lap while he brushed my hair the way only daddy could all the while answering my many questions about football and who were the "good guys" and who where the "bad guys". After both my sister and I had been cleaned changed and brushed we were sent of to bed! It never took long to fall asleep on Monday nights. To this day no one can lull me to sleep like Michaels and Madden, the commentators of the game. Just the sounds of their voices can make me does off. I remember  the soft light that the lamps from the living room would cat down the hall, I imagined mom and dad siting together watching the last minutes of the game as I fell asleep.


Now where does the Pumpkin Spice Candle play into all this? Well mom may not have always had a candle burning, when I was real little that was hardly the case, but she did have all the fall decor out and was probably in the kitchen baking something yummy. Poppy Seed bread, banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, zucchini bread (with chocolate chips) and the list goes on and on. So the smells of baked goods is a must on Monday nights.


In all this to my dismay there is no longer Monday Night football on local channels. So no more cozy Monday nights. So even though last night was Thursday it was a Monday night to me! I miss those days. We were such a happy little family! Now we're all grown up (even mom and dad) and running this way and that. But I think in our memories we will always have our wood stoves, football, and Pumpkin Spice Candles.